One of the most frustrating things in beekeeping is watching half of your strongest colony leave. You’ve nurtured them all year, made it through winter, and now just as the hive is hitting its stride, they decide to take off. Swarming is a natural part of colony reproduction, but as a beekeeper, it’s something I … Read more
Swarming can rob you of half a colony right at the peak of spring buildup. If you’ve ever opened a hive and found queen cells while the original queen is still inside, you know you’re on borrowed time. One strategy that many beekeepers use to interrupt swarm behavior without actually splitting the colony is the … Read more
Every spring I get flooded with messages like:“I had a few hives that didn’t make it through the winter, but I’ve got some frames of honey left. Can I use them in a new hive this year?” The short answer is yes, in most cases you can, but there are a few important things to consider … Read more